Garage Floor

Hey Steve!

I (personally) really like the race tiles... They seem to be the highest quality you can possibly get. Also, since it's a smoother surface... any spills or imperfections etc. etc. that you have can be more easily swept up... Just my two cents.

duh_weasel

 

Here is my take...... rustoleum epoxy looks great, but I did every step and it still picks up with hot tires. I've had other tiles like race deck and they were great except when you jack the car up the jack makes indentions. I've heard great stuff about the stick down tiles.

L8tr

 

More of an observation, but say you wanted to work on the car, how hard would it be to take the tiles off on one side of the garage while you are doing the work and then putting them back down?

 

Steve,

I did my floor with epoxy in '88 and it held up great for about 12 years. No lifting from hot tires but much of the paint is now gone around my workbenches from sliding stools and around where I keep the hydraulic jacks. Since I do a LOT of mechanical work in my garage, I would never consider tiles. The painted floor is also very easy to maintain with a wet mopping and occasional liquid wax. I'm going to put another coat on this fall.

If it's all for show, then tiles are the way to go. I know you didn't go to the Sports Leich shop with us last year, but Bjorn has his shop floors done with epoxy and they look terrific.

http://www.sportsleicht.com/final_assembly.htm

Bob

 

Hey bob,

which epoxy did you use? I'd like to do mine again with a better product if you can reccomend one.

Thanks
Jeremy

 

i just finished a new large garage...and the floor is painted /epoxy and it is great. Old Ferraris leak oil...it is a breeze to wipe the drips off the floor...i painted mine light grey and it is great.

 

I can't remember the paint I used 16 years ago, but I would bet that every brand on the market now is better than what I used back then. It's still sticking to the concrete just fine, just worn through in heavy traffic areas. I do remember that I bought it at Lowe's and it was a dark red, nothing fancy. I'll probably use the Lowe's product gain, but I have been looking seriously at Griots also. I'll also think I'll use the paint with the flakes you broadcast in to give it a better look..

Bob

 

"I have been looking at the Rustoleam (sp) epoxy floor, and the Griot's stuff as well. Most of Richard Griots stuff is oemed somewhere else and so I wonder if it isn't a rebadged bucket of Glidden or Sherwin Williams."


. . . and marked up at that.


Bob

 

No.... come on? Really? Couldn't be!

BTW, you coming over to get that carbon fiber roof, or should I sell it on eBay? Race is being TIVO'd, if you want to watch here with Luca. (It'll be his 3rd race!)

 

they do a carbon fibre paint in the uk

 

U Coat It

 

I used the black and white vct with 8 yellow tiles thrown in, then sealed with wax, looks great, except as is the case with almost all floors, where the tires have set, black tread marks. This was inexpesive, yet with a more custom look than paint.

These are the cheap tiles that are vinyl, and will break easily in your hand, but so far, they are held up. Also took a limited poster, and made framed prints for the wall, will FLY trimed in white.

 

I’ve used every imaginable coating in the past 5 garages and gave up. Here’s my take:

The only epoxy I found that worked was a Sherwin Williams product that is commonly used in aircraft hangers. It’s thick, beautiful and about $3.50’. The down side is that it’s a 3 part catalyst/mix that is so toxic you have to clear your house and about ½ the county when it’s applied. Also, if it is remotely wet it is VERY slippery unless you put grit in it. Still, jacks and heavy tools you slide will scuff it and you have to touch it up. It looks so nice you want to keep it perfect. Kind of like looking at an Fcar with a door ding if you don’t. All of the other finishes I used come up to some degree regardless of prep.. Not so much with the cars but the trucks lift it. Talk to a dealership that has a floor you like and I bet they will tell you they refinish it often.

The race deck stuff looks great but it does not work well for me rolling tools on it.

The stick tiles I liked the best but gave up on those as well due to cracks and chips. Again, from work being done with jack stands and so on.

In the end, I finished my latest floor with the clear coat Home Depot uses on their concrete. It does not look as nice but you can wipe stuff up and it’s near zero maintenance. I guess I decided it’s enough work maintaining the cars.

 

What about painting the concrete and then applying the aforementioned clear coat?

 

You forgot to state how much you were willing to spend. All of the suggestions you have are great and it pretty much depends on your tastes. I have to say the "DIY" paint on epoxy is not a bad route to go but if you want it to last as long as your home stands then you need to consider something else. Of course that would be an industrial epoxy floor professionally installed. They come in and sand blast the existing floor removing all other paints, coatings and stains down about .25". Then apply a hard epoxy floor to the same thickness. Standard colors incorporated into the floor are included in the price, but custom colors and designs are available. If you installed this kind of floor you or anyone else would have to really work hard to damage your floor noticeably. Last time I saw a floor installed like this damaged, it had a 8 ton piece of machinery dragged across it and only scratched the surface.

So how much did you say you wanted to spend? Good luck with your decision. Kinda of like buying a Ferrari isn't it?

 

I don't think the clear coat over the paint would protect much and with my luck it would act as a solvent and turn it into a gooey mess. Kinda like Armour All on the interior rubber in a FCar.

Of course now I am going to contradict myself on the time/maint./value of a finished floor. This thread got me thinking about putting tiles on the part of my garage where I just park the cars. ...

 

I've got the Overstock racedeck stuff and it looks great! Very durable and minimal maintence. All fluids just wipe off with ease.

 

I used 19 cent Home Depot squares a couple of years ago. They have held up very well. I replaced a few that got very dirty, and the new ones are not sticking as well, but I should have just cleaned the floor better before I stuck 'em on...
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UCoatIt.com. Great floor coating. Get it.

 

Ive done 8 garages withthe Rustoleou Epoxy with 100% results. the Trick is to use a Muratic acid wash for prep, not the lemon citric acid that comes with the kit. Let it dry for a week after washing & Ive had no Pick-Up problem from hot tires.